Gone by Michael Grant
This is my first exposure to Michael Grant's writing, and he totally blew me away. Maybe it was because I am partial to the sci-fi/fantasy genre, but truthfully I don’t think it had anything to do with it. This story was just... WOW!
Imagine sitting in class one day, maybe you are paying attention to your teacher, maybe you are daydreaming about surfing, then all of a sudden your teacher disappears. What would you do?
It just so happens that this very scenario happens to Sam Temple in his history class. It turns out his teacher isn’t the only on missing, it turns out that anyone over the age of thirteen is missing. Not just missing but disappeared. No cell phones, no television, no Internet. Poof gone!
Sam has been in a horrific experience like this before, well maybe not exactly like this. Sam had saved a bunch of kids in a school bus after the driver had a heart attack, good ole’ School Bus Sam. Sam was a natural leader, but he didn’t feel like it. Everyone was looking up to him for answers, but all Sam felt was guilt. Guilt because there was a possibility that this was his fault. Sam has this little problem, he can shoot beams of light out of his hands and burn people’s hands off. Literally. But I guess things like that happen when you live in Fallout Alley.
Thankfully Sam isn’t alone. He has is best friend and surfer brah, Quinn. The genius Astrid, who Sam has secret feelings for, and the faithful and dependable, Edilio.
Of course in any untamed civilization there is always a power struggle, those who have it and those who want to take it away. It turns out that Sam isn’t the only one that has "powers." When the kids from the private school Coates Academy show up, Sam and Astrid realize there is something more going on. It also doesn’t help that the kids from Coats and the kids from Perdido don’t exactly get along.
Caine from Coates Academy comes in, dazzles everyone with his charm and takes control of the FAYZ, a.k.a. Fallout Alley Youth Zone. Caine has his own secrets. He has powers of his own. And if he thinks your powers might be a threat to him, he takes care of you one way or another. But when Caine’s sinister sidekick Drake allows a girl to be beaten to death with a baseball bat, for doing a "magic trick" things go from bad to worse.
Caine knows that everyone looks up to Sam as a leader, so starts the battle of good vs. evil. Besides Caine has his own hidden agenda toward Sam. Oh! And did I mention that when you turn fourteen, you poof too. So not only does Sam have to save his new world, he will be fourteen in a week or so. No worries though. Yeah right!
There are so many twists and turns in the plot that you won’t be able to put this book down until it’s well, gone. But don’t fret, this is only the beginning of a six-part series. The characters are well developed. I love when you feel like you really connect with characters, and this was one of those experiences. You not only get to experience Sam’s part of the story but the views of many other characters. There is action, suspense, romance, and fantasy all rolled into one. Gone is a spectacular beginning to what I can only hope will be a thrilling series! Amazing!!!